Defeated
by Amber Dawn
Summary: I had to win, I had to beat Raven at his own game. I'd show him who was boss, show him that I could defeat him easily. [Original Character POV, genfic.]


Defeated 

_Author's notes: _ This is my first One Must Fall fic (ficlet? o.o;). It kinda came to me while I was lying in bed one night...o.O;;...Anyway. This is told from a young, up-and-coming HAR pilot's POV. I'm just a tad bit rusty on all the OMF terms, but I couldn't wait until I checked the game to write this. So bear with it, and...as always...enjoy! o.o;; 

  
  
I knew what I had to do. As soon as I felt myself comming to, felt my flesh-and-bone body replaced by the cool metal of my beloved Shadow, the animal instincts took over. I had to win, I had to beat Raven at his own game. I'd show him who was boss, show him that I could defeat his Pyros easily. Adreniline shot through my veins at the prospect, and I clenched my large, metal fingers in anticipation. Any minute, I'd be entering the arena to fight. 

_Raven's strong..._ my mind kept repeating, _he'll sweep you down in just a few seconds of the round. You're making a mistake..._

I knew it was true, somewhere deep inside I knew. The Shadow I loved was still weak from the last battle with Crystal. That girl was something else...she could fight better than most I'd fought before. I had won in the end, but not without serious damage to my HAR. My trainers had all insisted I put this match off, but I couldn't. The thrill, the danger was too addictive. 

Finally, it was time. I entered the arena, greeted by the sizzling of electricity around me. I hated this arena, mainly because I didn't like getting shocked every time I hit the walls. This made my mind whiz even faster...I had to stay away from the walls, and I had to beat the Pyros into a pile of scrap metal. Raven entered, and I stared for a moment in awe. That HAR had always held me facinated. It screamed power, bloodlust, winning...It screamed victory. But it was slow, and I knew exactly how to beat it. 

"Use the Shadow's quickness to beat it," my trainer kept saying, "just jump around, and knock it when you have the chance." 

That's exactly what I would do. No other thought crossed my mind as the battle began. The first thing I did was jump into the air as Raven enacted the flamethrowers. I didn't jump quick enough, though. The flame licked at my legs, and my mind screamed in pain. I had to keep going, though. More adreniline flowed through my blood, and I slammed my metal foot into the Pyros's chest. It stumbled backwards, bumping against the electricity-enhanced walls. A sharp jolt of energy ran through the metal Pyros, causing it to be slightly off-guard for a moment. I moved in, attacking it mercilessly. For the first few minutes of the fight, I had the upper hand. The Pyros had sustained plenty of damage, and I knew just a few more hits... 

Of course, that's when Raven started fighting back. The flamethrowers spat their embers at me again, and my mind screamed. I was caught off-balance, giving Raven the perfect opportunity. He fired the flames at me again, and again, charring the new polish on my Shadow. He rammed into me, and slammed me against the electric walls. My mind screamed even louder as the electricity ran though the HAR, affecting my pain sensors. I collapsed against the ground, and couldn't move. The fire, and the electricity, had been too much. As hard as I tried to get up, the Shadow wouldn't move. I just lay there, until the Pyros finished me off with one last blast of fire. The pain was so intense, and I let myself submit to the sweet darkness of unconciousness. 

My head hurt as I woke up. Gone was the rush of adrenilne, the feeling of metal instead of flesh. I reached my hand up, and gently massaged my aching temples. It felt good to be a human again, no matter how exhilirating the experiance of being a 30 foot tall robot was. My fingers were cool against my head, the usual side-effect of the drugs. My blurry eyesight slowly came into focus, and I sat up. The news had been turned on, and I just stared at the reporter as he spoke. 

"Although the Shadow of up-and-coming HAR pilot Arlett Zwerenz put up a magnificent fight, in the end, Raven's Pyros proved to be stronger. Arlett has a bright future ahead of her, as long as she stays away from electric walls and fire." 

I snorted. So much for support. I just lay back on the bed, and closed my eyes against the tears threatening to form.. Raven had been stronger. He had beaten me. I was broken, a loser...Defeated. 


End file.
